I have always admired people who found their “one thing” early, who invest in their craft with dogged determination, and continue to turn up every day.
It reminds me of a Shakespearean troupe I was a part of back in school. 25 of us were selected from 5,000 student actors across New Zealand to perform at the Globe in London.
I ultimately decided to not go on the trip. To put it bluntly, I was a 17 year old kid who simply didn’t want to work at part time job for a year to earn the money to go.
But of the folks who went, 5 of them have become full-time actors or writers.
It’s been a pleasure to watch them grow. From participating in underground theatre, to promoting larger shows, to writing their first scripts, to travelling and putting on their own shows.
I used to get jealous that I didn’t have a “one thing”; that my interests waxed and waned between hobbies. Over time, though, I’ve learnt to embrace and find joy in the spread.
But when I go to a show or a concert, I now don’t just think about the performance itself, I think about how their years of sticking to that one thing has led to this moment. And I enjoy it all the more.